Thomas walsh



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. WALSH.' PIRE ALARM BOX.

. Patented Aug. 27, 1895.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

u, HB S L m A m WA TM uw d o M m Patented Aug. 27,1895.

67 15a/mese@ gif mkg.

INITED STATES PATENT rr ce@ THOMAS VALSH, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

FlRE-ALARM BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,141, dated August 27, 1895.

Application tiled April l2, 1895. Serial No. 545,483. (No model.)

:1"0 @ZZ whom ir? may concerns Be it known that I, THOMAS WALSH, of the city of Montreal, in the district of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements i n Fire-Alarm Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ol' the same.

This invention has for its object to provide, in connection with tire-alarm boxes or signaling apparatus, means which shall have a deterrent oiect upon mischievous persons sending false alarms; and to such end the invention consists of an attachment in the form of an automatically-operated grip or handcuff acting to detain the person operating the alarm until the arrival of the remen.

Havingthus referred to the object and principle of my invention, I will now describe what I consider to be the most practical embodiment thereof in a lire-alarm box having the usual front hinged door requiring to be opened before the alarm can be rung, reference being had tothe annexed drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like symbols indicate corresponding parts, and whereinl Figure l is a front elevation of an alarmbox with the front of the easing or covering for my improved attachment removed; Fig. 2, asimilar view, but with the front of the casing or covering partially broken away and showing the operating parts in differentworking positions; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section on line 3 3, Fig. l.

The alarm-box is in this case shown as of the usual type, havinga hinged door a, and it is on this door that I place my attachment, although in other constructions of box it is equally applicable, since the main requirement is a connection with the locking mechanism ofthe alarm-box, Whether it be carried by the door or any other part thereof. The door then in this case is preferably locked by means of a vertically-sliding bolt b, the upper end of which engages a projecting hook.

or latch c, carried by the frame of the boX. The bolt is notched at b on one side, and a trigger or detent d, adapted to engage such notch, is mounted on the spindle cl of an operating-handle d2, also carried by the door.

Pivotally suspended from a bracket e, extending some distance out from the face of the door, are a pair of rodsff, each having semicircular bends ff, and outwardly-in- 55 b2, from the lowerend of the bolt l), carrying a bar or yoke-piece b3, (preferably pivoted to the projection b2, so as to avoid any chance of the bolt Z) being jammed by lateral movement 65 ofthehandcu) having slots b4 to receive the inclined portions f2 of the grip-rods, which, upon the yoke-piece being moved vertically up or down with the bolt, are necessarily opened or closed by such movement. be seen, therefore, that if a hand is passed through the handeuff to reach the operatinghandle d2, the moment it is rotated and the bolt freed so as to drop the rods fwill be drawn together and so detain the person until 75 such bolt is lifted.

To insure the passing of the hand through the handculf an inclosing-casing g is used, which prevents the handle d2 being reached except through an opening g' in such casing, 8o

which is directly in line with the handle and handcu. Of course the lifting of the bolt could be performed by some special means, solely under control of the lire department;

but I prefer to .use an automatic release pref- 8 5 erably of the following nature and construction: A lever h is pivoted to the lower end of a laterally-swinging bar h', and has one end pivotally connected Wit-h the bolt and its opposite end attached to a sliding carrier h2, 9o

moving inl a suitable slotted guide L: on the face of the door d.

The casing g is formed with a vertical compartment g2, in which the carrier Works, and

such carrier supports an open-topped recepo 5 tacle m in the compartment, which receptacle is adapted to be gradually filled with sand or any other granular material normallycarried in a hopper n, formed in the upper part of the casing above the compartment g2, and the too flow of which sand therefrom is controlled by means of a finger p, extending from the swing- This operation of the 6o It Will 7o ing bar 71', which, when the bolt l) is raised into its locking position,is located across the open delivery-mouth of the hopper, and when the bolt is dropped is moved laterally away, so as to uncover the discharge and allow the Sand to flow into the receptacle m until its weight overcomes the pressure of a retaining-spring sin the side of the casing when it will operate the lever 7L and so raise the bolt. The flow of the sand can be timed so that the person will not be released until the firemen have arrived and the period of detention can be varied by the use of interchangeable slides q, having discharge-apertures r of various sizes located at the mouth of the hopper. Of course other forms of automatic time-release mechanism, either' electric clockwork or the like, might be used.

As an auxiliary device, to be used when there is no necessity for operating the handcuff through the bolt b, I arrange a second bolt 'it alongside the one h and provide a nger u on the spindle of the handle to engage a projection u2 on the bolt u, by which such bolt can be raised independently to elevate the hook or latch c, serving to hold the door closed.

W'hat I claim is as follows:

l. In combination with the locking mechanism of a re alarm box, an automatically operated grip or handcuif adapted to open and close, and connections between same and said locking mechanism whereb1 upon the movement of the latter to unlock the box the handcuff will be closed together with means for openingr the handcuff, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the locking mechanism of a fire alarm box, an automatically operated grip or handcuif adapted to open and close, and connections between same and said locking mechanism whereby upon the movement of the latter to unlock the box, the handcuff will be closed together with means for automatically opening the handcuff, for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the door of a tire alarm box,-of a locking bolt, a pair of rods forming a handcuff, a yoke piece connected with such locking bolt and adapted upon the lmovement in one direction of such bolt to close such handcuff, and means for operating such locking bolt for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the door of a fire alarm box, of a locking bolt, a pair of rods forming a handcuif, and each having an inclined portion, a yoke piece connected with such locking bolt and having slots to receive the inclined portions of such rods, and means for operating such locking bolt for the purpose set forth.

5. Incombination with the door of a fire alarm box, of a locking bolt, a pair of rods forming a handcuff and each having an inclined portieri, a yoke piece pivotally connected with such locking bolt and having slots to receive the inclined portions of such rods, and means for operating such locking bolt for the purpose set forth.

G. In combination with a fire alarm box and locking mechanism therefor, a secondary box or casing carried by the box proper and inclosing the locking mechanism, a hand Ahole through said secondary casing, a handculf or gripping device within such casing, means connected with said locking mechanism and said gripping device whereby upon movementof the locking mechanism the gripping device is caused to close and means for opening same for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with aiire alarm box and locking mechanism therefor, an automatically operated grip or hand cuff adapted to open and close, and connections between same and said locking mechanism to secure the simultaneous closing of the handcuil with the unlocking of the box, and an automatically operating time release serving to open said handcuif for the purpose set forth.

S. In combination with a fire alarm box, a gravity hook carried by the frame thereof so as to overhang the upper edge of the door, a sliding bolt carried by the door and a rotary handle with connections between it and said bolt for raising same to operate said gravity hook, and an inclosing casing carried by the door having an opening therethrough in line with said handle for the purpose set forth.

9. In combination with the door of a fire alarm box,-'of a vertically sliding locking bolt supported by an engaging detent, a pair of rods forming a handcuff normally open, a yoke piece connected with such locking bolt and adapted, upon the disengagement of such detent from the locking bolt and the consequent fall of same, to close such handcuff and means for operating such detent for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination of the secondary inclosing casing the locking bolt, the rods forming the handcuff, connections between said bolt and rods, an operating handle with detent engaging said bolt and an automatic time release comprising a lever, a movable supply of sand, a hopper for same and a receptacle into which such sand flows from the hopper, a finger controlling the flow operated by said lever and means for supporting said receptacle until filled with sand so as to depress said lever for the purpose set forth.

1l. In combination with the door of a tire alarm box carrying a hopper with an outlet opening in its bottom,-of a locking bolt, a detaining device capable of being opened and closed, operative connection between same and the locking bolt, a device adapted to be moved in one direction by the closing of the detaining device and to open such detaining device by its return movement to its normal position, and means for operating such locking bolt for the purpose set forth.

12. In combination with the door of a fire ICO alarm box carrying a hopper with an outlet opening in its bottom,-of a locking bolt, a detaining device capable of being opened and closed, operative connection between same and the locking bolt adapted to be moved in one direction by the closing of the detaining device and to open such detaining device by its return movement to its normal position, and means for returning such device to its normal position and for operating such locking bolt for the purpose set forth.

13. ln a lire alarm box the combination with the door carrying a hopper provided with a temporarily covered outlet opening in its bottom,-of a locking bolt, a detaining device capable of being opened and closed, operative connection between same and the locking bolt, a device adapted upon the closing of the detaining device to uncover the outlet opening in the hopper and to move such open top receptacle to a position in close proximity to such uncovered outlet opening for the purpose set forth.

14. In afire alarm box, the combination with the door and its locking bolt, an automatically operated grip or handcnft adapted to open and close, connections between same and said locking bolt and means for operating such locking bolt,of a latch adapted to engage such looking bolt and a secondary bolt adapted to disengage such latch, with means for operating same for the purpose set forth.

l5. The combination with the door 0f a tire alarm box carrying a hopper with an outlet opening in its bottom,-of the vertically sliding locking bolt, the rods forming the handcuit pivotally connected to the door of the box, and each having an inclined portion, a yoke piece pivotally connected with such locking bolt and having slots to receive the inclined portions of such rods, an operating handle with detent engaging and supporting` such vertically sliding bolt, an automatic time release comprising a swinging bar pivoted to the door ofthe box, a lever fulcrumed to such swinging bar and having one arm pivotally connected to the locking bolt and the other arm pivotally connected to a sliding carrier supportin g an open topped receptacle beneath the hopper, a finger projecting from such swinging lever across and closing the outlet opening in the bottom of the hopper, a movable supply'of sand carried by such hopper and an inclosing casing for such locking bolt, handcuii and releasing mechanism,

with a hand opening in line with the operating handle, all for the purpose set forth.

1G. The combination with the door of a fire alarm box carrying a hopper with Van outlet opening in its bottom,ot` the vertically sliding locking bolt, the latch and its operating bolt, the rods forming the handcud pivotally connected to the door of the box and each having an inclined portion, a yoke piece pivotally connected with such locking bolt and having slots to receive the inclined portions of such rods, an operating handle with detent and nger for engaging and supporting such vertically sliding bolt and operating such latch operating bolt respectively, an automatic time release comprising a swinging bar pivoted to the door of the box, a lever fulcrumed to such swinging bar and having one arm pivotally connected to the locking bolt and the other arm pivotally connected to a sliding carrier supporting an open topped receptacle beneath the hopper, a finger projecting from such swinging lever across and closing the outlet opening in the bottom of the hopper, a movable supply of sand carried by such hopper and an inclosing casing for such locking bolt, handcuft and releasing mechanism with a hand opening in line with the operating handle all for the purpose set forth.

17. The combination with the door of a tire alarm box Vcarrying a hopper with an outlet opening in its bottom,-of the vertically sliding locking bolt, the rods forming the hand cud pivotally connected to the door of the box, and each having an inclined portion, a yoke piece pivotally connected with such locking bolt and having slots to receive the inclined portions of such rods, an operating handle with detent engaging and supporting such vertically sliding bolt, an automatic time 9 release comprising a swinging bar pivoted to the door of the box, a lever fulcrumed to such swinging bar and having one arm pivotally connected to the locking bolt and the other arm pivotally connected to a sliding carrier supporting an open topped receptacle beneath the hopper, a retaining spring carried by the side of the casing, a linger projecting from such swinging lever across and closing the outlet opening in the bottom of the hopper, a mov able supply of sand carried by such hopper and an inclosing casing for such locking bolt, handcuft and releasing mechanism, with a hand opening in line with the operating handle, all for the purpose set forth.

' 1S. The combination with the door ofa tire alarm box carrying a hopper with an outletopening in its bottom,-of the vertically sliding locking bolt, the latch and its operating bolt, the rods forming the handcut pivotally connected to the door of the box and each having an inclined portion, a yoke piece pivotally connected with such locking bolt and having slots to receive the inclined portions ot such rods, an operating handle with detent and finger for engaging and supporting such vertically sliding bolt and operating such latch operating bolt respectively, an automatic time release comprisinga swinging bar pivoted to the door of the box, a lever ful-- crumed to such swinging bar and having one arm pivotally connected to the locking bolt and the other arm pivotally connected to a sliding carrier supporting an open topped ren ceptacle beneath the hopper, a retaining TOO IIC)

spring carried by the sido of the casing, a uthe operating handle all for the purpose. set ger projecting from such swingnglover across forth.- and closing the Outlet opening in the bottom Montreal, March 26, 1895.

of the hopper@ a movable supply of sand oar- THOMAS WALSH. 5 ried by such hopper and an inolosing casing l In presence offor such looking bolt, handouf and releasing; FRED. J. SEARS,

mechanism with a hand opening in lino with RUPT. C. KIMLE. 

